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This page contains Winings from the 1st Quarter of the year 2004. To contact WinoBob, click here March 31, 2004 You snooze,
you lose. Yes, Winos and Winettes, the much ballyhooed wino journal
drawing date has arrived. So I spent my night tearing up little pieces of paper with my
boney little fingers and scribing the names of all those that submitted an
entry into the contest. I
don’t know what else to say, but this was an easy one, no stories, no
signing up for a case of miracle elixir to get entered.
I sipped a glass or two of an Aussie blend of Shiraz and Cabernet
Sauvignon as I tore and wrote. In
a massive scoop, I tumbled the batch into my Phil Simms autographed Giants
helmet and shook it like a Bond Martini.
It actually took me three times to get it mixed and keep scraps of
paper from flying across the room as the bonded witness from Deloitte Touché
sat on the well worn brown leather reading chair in the dingy room on the
third floor. With the official
name drawn and certified by the now drunk bonded witness from Deloitte Touché,
I placed the name next to the keyboard of my Sony Vaio as I sat down to tap
this out. I must say,
the wine was not worthy of the occasion, as I should have celebrated with a
much richer example from down under. But
as this is only hump day, I didn’t want to open a good bottle and have it
sleep on the kitchen counter for the next few nights, only to be offered to
Drainoniese, the Greek Sewer God of Old Wine.
The wine that accompanied this exciting drawing was: 2001
Boonaroo Shiraz-Cabernet $
(8.99) And a
hearty Congratulations goes to: WINETTE ALICE Holy
Crap Marie, we are happy that Winette Alice’s name came up; especially
since the oft mentioned T-Rex cloned Wino Paul had recently told me he
stapled a bunch of bar napkins together for Winette Alice to record her
recent tastings. One note to
the Rex man, if I see the wino journal on eBay, I will be sending Uncle Vito
over to visit, if you know what I mean. Thank you to all who sent me emails and we will be doing more exciting things in the near future.
March
28, 2004 Milestones,
cornerstones, river stones, anti-cyclone rolling stones, preachers from the
East, dethrone the Dictaphone, hit it in the funny bone, that’s where they
expect it least. Well, the dull
ache and thumping finally subsided enough for the small clicking sounds of
my keyboard to be tolerable. Last night’s gathering of twenty has my recycling bin over
flowing with 11 wine, one Johnny Walker Black, an Absolut Vodka and a Magnum
of Dom Perignon glass containers. Every
once in a great while, an alignment of friends from different aspects of our
lives collide in a 9 hour continuous pour of wine and spirits.
One might have thought the neighborhood was celebrating the final
days of the 1892 stone and iron jail in North Caldwell.
Yes, this weekend the long awaited transport of the 1400 incorrigible
young men and woman were routed to their new, freshly painted home of
cements and steel in the heart of Newark.
The Alcatraz of Wessex is closed and the intense process of moving
the inmates had the weekend ripe with law enforcement from all over the
county and the state’s most hi tech helicopter ensuring a happy and safe
journey. With a
pissy attitude, I drive through the road barriers on Saturday to Home
Liquors for selection of several wines to delight my guests.
The white choice was a Big Bob property, Giesen Sauvignon Blanc.
I found out, to my surprise, that New Zealand screwed me.
Yes, the 2003 release now comes with the much ballyhooed screw cap.
Remember winos, the screw cap is not a bad thing, it’s just a
mental perception one must overcome, like my guests, thinking I was serving
them Ripple. As for
reds, I looked for great value and the two I selected are finds in my book.
The Aussie Shiraz is a solid wine I have enjoyed before and knew that
some of the crowd would appreciate. They
seemed pleased. The fun one I
tried was a Cab from the Colchagua Valley in Chile, the up and coming region
that will soon replace Maipo as the Napa of South America.
I was bummed out when one of the four bottles was bad. Yes the
dreaded cork taint. At 2AM, the
wine purchased for the evening was gone and the basement was raided twice to
fuel the conversation till 4AM. One
of the couples is a staunch Democrat volunteer and has been on the Kerry
bandwagon since last summer. It
is funny that a great many of my neighbors are self employed and lean
towards the Republican side of issues.
As the morning birds chirped in the background, the wino ideology
flew back and forth across the kitchen table, fueled by many-a-glass of red.
The beauty of wine is that by the end of the night (morning) we all
hugged and parted as friends, agreeing to disagree about the future of the
USA’s political environment, but in harmony about the future of Chilean
Cabernet. 2003
Giesen Sauvignon Blanc $ (8.99) 1999
Santa Laura SA Laura Hartwig Colchagua Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
$ (9.99) 2002
Wyndam Estates Bin 555 Shiraz $
(9.99)
March 23, 2004 Sometimes
things crack me up, that I know others are looking at me like I’m a major
asshole, but once a year I drag out the same old joke and it makes me laugh
just as much. A tradition has
developed, I guess, with the Pastor of our church.
Time has rolled around for his annual birthday dinner at Bacchus.
I have no problem with it this year as he has rearranged his schedule
on a very busy Saturday afternoon to bestow a special service for the
celebration of the folk’s 50th anniversary.
Walking into the restaurant last night I was greeted with many, what
in the hell are you doing with a man of the clothe, looks. I quickly tell
them, “It’s my Father’s Birthday.”
At which point the asshole looks flourish, but in the past it equated
to a round of dessert on the house. Pointing
at him and saying it’s my Father’s birthday just makes me laugh, I know
it is sophomoric at best and childish at worst, but its like one of those
lines you wait for. As Father
is a Pinot Grigio fan, I ordered a bottle that the Don Ho-looking Jimmy was
pleased to present to us. Though I only took enough to toast the occasion, I quickly
ordered a Shiraz by the glass to rinse out my mouth. I don’t know what it is about having a black shirt with
contrasting collar (the priest, not me, my shirt and collar were black), but
the service seemed a bit more attentive and the spattering of Monday evening
diners seems a bit friendlier. As
Bacchus is close enough to the parish that my good Father usually bumps into
other sheep in his flock; last night he was the King Pin as 2 of the 4
tables in the room were collection basket contributors. I have to offer a sincere thank you to Ryan, Tony and Jimmy
for the excellent service and evening they afford our party last night.
The Evans and Tate Shiraz, I had before as it is one of a few shiraz
by the glass and the Pinot was Santa Margarita- interestingly enough, the
number one Pinot Grigio in the 2003 Wine and Spirits mag survey. Ryan, you might as well set me up with a reservation for March 25, 2005, I think I’m busy on the 23rd.
March 22, 2004 On a rare
occasion, Sunday is spent with a strong cup of black coffee and the four
pound fireplace starter, the Star Ledger.
Yesterday, the situation arose that allowed me time to sit on a
leather couch in Panera’s on the corner of Bloomfield Ave and Passaic Ave,
with afore mentioned items. Yes,
the same place that Adriana La Cerva sat with her female FBI agent and had
her first conversation about the guilt she is experiencing in the episode 2
rolled out of her internal struggle. Honestly,
I don’t read the entire paper; I grab the sections that most interest me
and leave the rest for the Mag Pies. A section one last article reading dovetailed interestingly
enough with the first article in section 10.
Section 10 was an Opinion piece by Fran Wood, titled “Liberal Radio
Network Takes a Gamble.” Yes,
the much ballyhooed inaugural show to combat successful conservative talk
radio will begin March 31, 2004. A
group of wealthy (yes winos don’t let them fool you, there are tons of
extremely wealthy Democrats, though they do not want you to know that- just
look at who runs Hollywood and all the mega wealthy donors there) put up
tens of millions of dollars to launch a network in hopes of dethroning the
successes of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly and Matt Drudge.
Hey I thought they already had that network, it’s called NPR.
The radio network is called Air America and its executive director,
Even Cohen, is the brain behind the line up.
Mr. Cohen’s business model was clearly defined in the news article
as, “We expect our business plan and the tens of millions raised to give
us a runway to lose money for a meaningful period of time- and we are
talking years, not months.” Wow,
no wonder Winostuff hasn’t been able to make this site a success, our
philosophy of trying to make money is the wrong formula.
Maybe Mr. Cohen should speak with Wine.com if this thing doesn’t
work out, his business perspective lines up well with theirs. So, if the
claims of the mass audience pleading with Air America to be the counter to
the right, and with scary talents like the once funny in 1978, ex-SNL writer
Al Franken and the French loving Janeane Garofalo, why aren’t they
preparing to make money? I
can’t wait for Ms. Garofalo’s uplifting opening monologue entitled,
“America Sucks, we should all be French.”
Mr. Franken’s show will be many of his scripted comedy bits with
interspersions of America bashing to lift our hearts and feel good about
ourselves. What, Mr.
Franken’s hot air drivel cannot consume his three hour show, that’s
interesting, not one of the Right Wing successful shows have to take time to
fill the airwaves with comedy bits, no they structure their show with phone
calls and audience participation. Interestingly
enough, the new Air America feels that audience interaction will be minimal
at best as the clamoring left wing audience won’t really have much of a
say, they just will have to listen to the intellect being told to them by
Ms. Garofalo and Mr. Franken. Who
needs interaction with people, you never know but they might bring up a
counterpoint to our purpose and we can’t have any dissenting opinions on
our Air America. We will not be
like those damn conservatives and take heat from opposition, no, we will
just spew vitriol and incendiary comments without challenge. Long way around to it but the comments in section 1 relates to the Political climate in France. Yes, Mr. Chirac is being seriously challenged by the Conservative wing of Parliament. What, France is looking to get tougher in their Political leanings as the Spain terror attack has them all thinking differently. So will the elections next week undercut Ms. Garofalo’s opening rant about Bad America, shame, shame, and have her scampering for another left leaning country to admire? Ms. Garofalo, let me suggest you use Cuba as your model of a Utopian society, can’t lean more left then Fidel. Oh yeah, most Cubans are risking their lives to float, swim or paddle their way to America. Are we ready for 24/7 of how America is a bad place to live? Interestingly enough, America allows the likes of Ms. Garofola and Mr. Franken to voice their opposing views without threat of death, no matter how irrational and vapid they are.
March
21, 2004 Where is
Mr. Darwin? Dead, yes I know
that, but where is his theory that explains the natural order of selection
for human stomach fat? Wino
Wally brought up a very interesting point to me, though I am not an Atkins
devotee, the 36 glasses of wine per day is very intriguing.
So I decided to dust off the old college books about alcohol, I have
explained that in detail in the past so you can search out Wino Bob college
years for the background. One book was helpful to me, so I thought I would pass this
along. When it comes to
figuring out caloric intake, the simple fact is use more calories than you
take in, you can calculate your caloric exposure right at the bar. Here’s the formula: Take the percentage of alcohol, multiply times the # of ounces
you drink, and multiply that times 1.6.
So for a 14% alcohol wine, in a 5 oz. glass, the math is 1.6 x 14 x
5. If my gazintas are correct, it’s something like 112.
Most people are on the 2000 calorie a day diet so for me by 7AM I
have consumed my calories for the day.
Actually it would afford me 17 glasses of a nice Zinfandel or close
to 30 glasses of some fluffy Liebfruamilch. The problem is that the alcohol, though a very efficient fuel source to the human body, lacks the vitamins and minerals necessary to keep your teeth from falling out of your head and your organs playing the right tune. The body looks for carbs first as an easy, effective fuel source, then it looks to acetate, the by product of the livers processing of my wine consumption. As I get fueled up from crackers and wine, my body neglects to burn off the spare tire that seems to be inflating around my otherwise ripped abs, they’re there, just hidden several layers below the surface. The acetate won't make you fat; your body is now choosing to burn that acetate instead of burning the fat you already have in your system. *
carbohydrates So back to Mr. Darwin, in his survival of the fittest, the bull elephant or the king lion doesn’t get paunchy around the middle as he grows older, in fact many of the discovery shows depict the old boss losing a battle with a young buck and heading off to wither and die. There are no fat dead elephants, now that I think about it; there are no fat dead Botswanans either. So maybe this McDonalds lawsuit thing really means something. As I watched the once mighty male elephant succumb to the ravages of time and loss, the camera panned back from a helicopter shot of the African plains, tribesman were looking for their next meal, the new bull elephant was servicing his harem and there was not a golden arch to be found for hundreds of miles. So as I grow old and a young bull pushes me from my home to service my pride, I will not grow fatter around the middle but simply cut back to 5 glasses of wine a day and seek out a shaded grassland by a stream and sit-down to wither and die as Darwin thought we should. 1998
Chimney Rock Cabernet Sauvignon $$ (34.00)
March
19, 2004 I just
wanted to remind you that the drawing for the Wino Journal will close at the
end of the month. The past
three days saw a flurry of entries so please get your email to me as soon as
you can so I can place everyone’s name in the proverbial hat.
I don’t know how I could make the contest more palpable. Today, I found myself in a part of NJ that I haven’t been in awhile and when this occurs, I like to stop into the old haunts just to see if they have changed. It was early morning when I found myself headed down 202 South on my way to Doylestown, PA and I stopped into a coffee shop I frequented when I use to drive that road weekly. While waiting at the counter to pay for my coffee, I scanned the magazine rack. The issue of Wine & Spirits glared back at me as its headlines trumpeted this issue contained the restaurant survey. Each year they look at what Americans are drinking and give a great overview on what the most popular wines in different categories turned out to be. The last time I looked at this magazine was the free issue I received at the last class of the wine course I took with the guy whose name rhymes with handsraily, since I cannot actually mention him in print any longer. That was the issue which looked at the results from 1998, so I thought I would do a little comparison chart to see if the wine drinking public has changed.
The best
news of the comparison is that Beringer White Zinfandel was replaced with a
Cabernet Sauvignon are the favorite bottle under $25.00. Unfortunately,
the wine by the glass has moved from cab to chard, what’s that about? The
other things I found interesting were that the chardonnay, sparkling wine
and Italian favorites have survived the test of time.
The California Cabs are great then and now, but Americans are in need
of education when it comes to Chilean, Spanish and Aussie wine.
People, these are areas that have so much more to offer then what
made the list. The difficulty I
have from the survey is that I cannot tell if the Sommelier is at fault as
he or she is the one recommending these or if the restaurants just don’t
have a strong enough list to really offer the public much better wines.
I am willing to drink my way through the lists at the hundreds of
surveyed restaurant or consult to those that what to be more eclectic in
their offerings. Note to Big Bob, see what you can do to get at least a Pinot Noir on the favorite French wine list. This year Maison Joseph Drouhin came in second to Lator. I’m sure we can work on drinking Drouhin to the top if we put our collective efforts to work. Think Cote de Beaune.
March 15, 2004 2-18-42
blue, Louie, Louie, Mike go. The deep ball is in the air in what seems like
a Hail Mary from Trenton. The Governor of our great state now has a high powered
Washington criminal defense attorney seated in his inner circle as the
scandal firestorm burns around him. I’m
glad he ran on a platform of ethics and cleaning up the politics of the
state. What would we be in for
if he never made that a campaign promise?
One would think he would have thought long and hard about being
Governor while he spent the 4 years campaigning after his loss to Governor
Whitman. He basically ran
unopposed as the Republicans offered little support to Bret Schundler. It is funny to hear members of his own party talking about
challenging him in the Primary, a rare move indeed as incumbency is the
desired role of any politician. “When
a sitting governor has to retain a criminal defense attorney it is both
troubling and serious,” said Senator Kyrillos. “There will be many
questions that will require answers, but chief among them is why a sitting
governor must retain a high-priced criminal defense attorney.” Politics Patrol TRENTON
-- Gov. McGreevey must wish that tough, enforceable ethics laws were in
place from top to bottom in New Jersey before he took office. All these
federal subpoenas and visits from the FBI to state agencies, the governor's
office and the Democrats' headquarters don't look good. His is headed toward
being the most scandal-ridden administration in memory. Robert
J. Garrity Jr., acting special agent in charge of the FBI in Newark,
confirmed Thursday that after terrorism the FBI's biggest priority here is
public corruption. "The citizens of New Jersey are entitled to better
than this," he said. Amen, brother. The
feds are looking into several folks linked to McGreevey -- Charles Kushner,
a top fund-raiser, and Roger Chugh, a blowhard self-promoter who served in
the governor's 2001 campaign and then in the Secretary of State's office. Gary
Taffet and Paul Levinsohn also are being examined by the FBI. Taffet was
McGreevey's chief of staff and Levinsohn was the governor's chief counsel.
And ---- what a coincidence -- they wound up in the billboard business which
they sold for $2.2 million just before McGreevey took office. 2003 Spy Valley
Sauvignon Blanc $
(11.99)
March
13, 2004 Well, I’m
no longer a virgin, thanks to Deann and the Heritage Park Playground, Inc
wine tasting fund raiser event. Let
me reword that for those of you with sick little wino brains.
Last night was the first of the many to come wine tasting events at
which I have been asked to work. Deann
found our page one evening when she was cruising the net looking for
contributors to help with their fund raising efforts. Little did she
know we would actually agree to help and we donated a gift basket with a
selection of WinoStuff stuff. Not
knowing Deann, I left out the now famous WinoBob thong that WinoJohn seems
to picture me in as he evilly creates with his Photo Shop 4.5 software.
The basket really turned out great consisting of a wino journal,
professional hand painted wine glasses and a spray bottle of the world
renowned WinoStuff Magical Red Wine Stain Removing Elixir©. As I arrived at the Mountain View Chalet, made famous by Jason Williams (that was where he and his friends ate just before returning to his home and a manslaughter charge), Deann greeted me, and introduced me with the confused statement of, “Cindy, this is..., what should I call you since I only know you as Wino Bob?” Wino Bob is fine with me, at which point Cindy scribbled out a name tag Wino Bob from WinoStuff.com. I was introduced to Gordon Stewart of Perryville Wine and Spirits and he set me up at table 6. Yes, table 6, the one in the far back left hand side of the event room, behind a column. More visible was Mr. Hunt S. Patterson III, the Northeast Regional Manager of Pine Ridge, at table 7. Hunt was very friendly and looked third generation wine and money. I
familiarized myself with the wines I would be pouring, and then broke out in
a virginal, "I’ve never done this before" performance anxiety
sweat. Holy Crap Marie, I need
to pour and talk about these wines like I’m some pedantic wine snob guru.
Sitting in my third floor Trappist Monk cloister, I took a vow of
silence, only to write and pray to the wine Gods three times daily; however,
I actually had to discuss the wines with some sort of intelligence and Wino
Bob wit to make this event enjoyable for the guests that had paid good money
to support this cause. So, what the hell do I know about South American wine and the
producers I’d be pouring? This
is what I had to offer at table 6. Causino-Macul (Chile)
Alamos
(Argentina)
Catena
(Argentina)
So, I know
the grapes, have experience with Malbec, Cabs and Chards and am aware that
Chile and Argentina are in South America.
Great, I was good to go I
quickly swirled and sipped each to get my sea legs and made up stories about
the South American people, how they all drink wine every night in a
sacrificial ceremony while cutting the heads off young
male goats, you know, to make it like I really traveled there and knew the
area. Actually, the people
there were terrific and we talked about wine and I poured and exchanged my
thoughts and feeling with what they found in the glass and we had fun.
Many may be waking this morning saying what a pedantic wine snob I
was, but I hope not. I tried to make it enjoyable and share the little
wine knowledge I have. South
American wines are in my wheel house as they are an up and coming region and
carry great price value currently. I
don’t know if it was the fact that my two favorites caused me to offer
them more or that the crowd agreed with my internal gut, but the two wines
people enjoyed the most from table 6 were the Antiguas Reserve, a night and
day difference from their Cabernet, and the Malbec.
Malbec went, I think, because people were unfamiliar and were there
to try new things. I encouraged them to taste it so they would know if it
was something they would buy in the future. Well, I
wish it were all fun and games, but there is one less than stellar moment
for me in the evening. Around about 9:30, they announced the winners of the silent
auction baskets. The baskets
were at the opposite end of the room, so I could not see throughout the
evening if anyone was signing up to bid on the WinoStuff offering.
As the crowd gathered, my vision was blocked and the PA system
sounded like the muffled voice of the conductor on the A train.
Proudly, I looked and waited but could not see who the winner of the
basket was, but I did find out later. Yes
folks, my pride was shattered when it turned out to actually be a distant
cousin of the Wino Bob gene pool who came up to me at the end of the night
and said, “What the hell are you doing here? And by the way, we saw you
from across the room and when we saw your basket, we bid on it so the sheet
would not be empty.” Great.
That childhood feeling you get when your mom gives you a ribbon after you
come in last at a race then she says, “you may have come in 9th out of the
seven people in the race, but you will always be number one to me….”
came flooding down my spine. As we only
see one another at the annual Brother James bash, I wasn’t exactly sure
where they lived. As it turns out, they live in the town that the Park
is being built, he's the town engineer and she a teacher in the local
school. We had a great chat
afterwards, though I feel like my crayon drawing will now be hanging on
their refrigerator. This is a picture from my “special” cousin,
you know, the Wino…. Deann, thanks for the opportunity to work at the wine tasting and I hope it was a financial success. March 9, 2004 Once
football season is over, my Monday night routine shifts from sitting on the
well-worn cordovan leather couch in front of the Panasonic Tau 32 inch HDTV
with a glass of wine to watch the game, to sitting on the 80 year old
slat-back oak chair in front of the 13 inch monitor of my Sony Vaio Z505
SuperSlim Pro notebook with a glass of wine to watch the game.
(I threw in that detail just in case any book agents are reading
tonight). The game shifts from
pig skin, to the pig pen of NJ politics.
Everyday seems like a fun day in the rough and tumble world of NJ
politics, but with major elections in the future, the stories seem a bit
more intense. So as I swirled
and sipped and read the reaction to my comments about the beginning of the
Soprano’s season, I hopped around a few of my bookmarked favorites.
One such site I am drawn to is www.politicsnj.com.
Though one would hope it was written by an ex-editor for the Harvard
Lampoon, or better yet, an out of work writer from Saturday Night Live, it
is actually a wonk page with elite contributors who have their finger on the
pulse of the State’s political scene.
I find politics engaging, as one would observe the twisted metal of a
highway crash. No matter how
much heat I get for pointing out what others say regarding the corruption
and greed that has painted NJ with a less than shiny reputation, I take it
kindly. I do not have the
intellect nor the creativity, nor the power to bring those thoughts to
people's minds. They have been formed ages ago from the actions and
scandals that have blazed in the headlines of the news papers in this State. This
particular evening, on the heels of the numerous arguments I have heard and
read on why the Sopranos are deleterious for the reputation of NJ, life has
taken the lead to imitate art. If
written by David Chase, the backlash would have been deafening, but Winos
and Winettes, the real story this weekend is not a work of fiction, it is
not an over active creative mind. No,
the headlines I stumbled upon tonight are what have given NJ its seedy
political outerwear. Stacking one upon the next, like Lincoln Logs, the years of
misdeeds continues to roll on and this day’s headlines leave me to laugh
at the irony. Words ring that
NJ has a bad rap and things need to be cleaned up and turned around, then
headlines like this greet your morning coffee. New Jersey News Governor's
office dragged into federal investigation Monday,
March 08, 2004 By
KATHERINE BLOK The
offices of the Democratic State Committee in Trenton were raided Tuesday by
the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The feds were apparently looking for
financial information including contribution records on Carteret businessman
David D'Amiano. DSC officials said the state committee is not being
investigated. Subpoenas were served Thursday on the governor's office and the departments of the treasury and agriculture. According to published reports, the feds want to know if D'Amiano's political contributions led to preferential treatment on tax liens, permits and other issues. The Associated Press reported Friday that Gov. James E. McGreevey is complying with the subpoenas and ordered his staff to turn over the requested documents.
Subpoena
for governor unusual event Saturday,
March 06, 2004 By
TERRENCE DOPP TRENTON
-- It's rare for a governor to see the type of subpoena that landed on Gov.
James E. McGreevey's desk Thursday. In
fact, several Statehouse veterans say it hasn't happened in at least 30
years. "Unfortunately,
I think a good number of average New Jersey citizens will rush to
judgment," said Rider University political scientist David Rebovich.
"And that's something this administration should be worried
about." On Thursday, the U.S. Attorney's Office requested documents from McGreevey's office and both the Treasury and Agriculture departments relating to allegations they gave a campaign donor and Carteret businessman a break on tax violations and other matters. The
list is a 42 Long, but for some reason, our State has a reputation for
corruption in Politics on both sides of the fence.
Its not me, I am but the stone wall in the canyon that the words echo
off and roll down the chasm that divides the believers and non-believers. I have been accused in the past of being biased about certain
issues. New Jersey is a great
place to live, and currently NJ ranks 5th in the nation in wine
production. I want a positive
image for my home and if it is wine that brings it first, all the better. I am trying to drink it into the fourth place spot, but
changing the image to the other 49 states starts from the people who
actually live and breath and work here.
The Soprano’s didn’t start the firestorm of corruption in our
Political vista, and soon they will be off the air, but stories like this
will plague our State in the eyes of the Nation for years to come. 2002
Rock River Winery Sauvignon Blanc
$ (10.99) March 8, 2004 Our ranks
of readers are growing by leaps and bounds, by the thousands everyday
according to the web stats. OK,
maybe by the tens. Well, actually, as of Saturday, I can confirm one
new reader and that is fine with me. Because
if one person tells another and those two people tell two people and so on
and so on, soon the entire adult population of internet users who are not
cruising for porn will be hooked on WinoStuff.
This past weekend it was dinner at Sophia’s, a great BYOB
restaurant in No. Caldwell. It
is nicely situated between the palatial estate of Wino Rocker and my dark
third floor safehouse. And the
new reader is the legal-aged Winette Les who we toasted at dinner.
Now if she can just tell two people and those two people tell two
people and so on and so on, it will be an epidemic. Now onto
more serious things. The Sopranos are back and this first episode
gives us hope for it to be a fast-paced, intense season.
Refer back to my predictions about Paulie’s exit. It sure
seems like Christopher is going to be in conflict with Mr. Walnuts all
season, you never know where his temper might take him. From
fiction to reality, we are in for a dramatic Political season since the
primary is over for the Democrats and the strategies are unfolding.
I am waterlogged already and the conventions aren’t until the
summer. One thing, as an
outside observer, I cannot understand is the mixed message that the Dems
will have to deal with after their convention.
We are being beaten with the war hero image of Mr. Kerry and I
personally respect anyone who has spent any time in defense of our freedom.
His decision, upon his return, to protest the war he fought in, is
well within the boundaries of this great nation.
The problem I see arising is the strategy to berate President
Bush’s Guard service, build up Mr. Kerry’s Vietnam War service and then
have the name Hillary Clinton floated out as possible VP, or even a savior
to the party if Kerry’s personal issues become too large for him to quell.
How will the leaders of the party promote Hillary as the best person
to run this country while they are defining Homeland Security and Mr.
Kerry’s war service as making him the best qualified?
So tell me, Terry McCauliff, will War Hero John Kerry be easily
replaced by Mrs. Clinton, when President Bush’s National Guard position is
inadequate? What qualifications
for Homeland Security does her background carry?
She sat quietly next to her husband to gather her power as he
publicly embarrassed their family life, but now she will sprout a backbone?
I do know that at least five days a month, no foreign leaders will
want to deal with her, but what will they be doing the other 25 days?
Hell hath no fury like a pissed off Hillary.
I would love to be a fly on the wall the week before the affair in
Boston as the backroom deals come down hard and fast.
And what of all the work Rev. Sharpton has been doing? Is their
no place in the Rainbow, all accepting power positions for those who
criticize the Republicans for not being open?
Hey, wait, it’s a Republican administration that has a black female
in a cabinet position. Who
forgot to tell the Republicans that they should only have blue-suited white
guys in the cabinet? Well I am
still waiting for there to be affirmative action at the Dem’s convention
and let the Rev hold a prominent cabinet position, or is having two white,
wealthy guys say they are true Black Presidents good enough?
Yes, Mr. Kerry fashions himself after Mr. Clinton in using the term
that he too could be considered a Black President.
I don’t know. Is the Heinz summer home located in Compton? 1997 BV
Beauzeaux $
(8.99)
March 6, 2004 OK, here it is the eve of the opening episode of the new season of the Sopranos and talk radio, cable TV and newsprint are on fire with the same topic that comes up each year at this point. Sopranos - Good or Bad. I listened for several hours today to WABC talk radio 770 as the hosts threw out the question to the listeners and callers from the tri-state area voiced their opinion. I then went to the internet and searched the Star Ledger- northern NJ paper of record, and dug out past and present articles about both sides of the issue. I found Steve Adubato’s position interesting as an Italian-American from the north ward of Newark. Finally, I searched sites from fans and non-fans reading essays pro and con. The arguments are strong on both sides and I am not here to draw a wine-soaked conclusion to end this five year battle. For some, the good news is that after this season, there are 10 episodes that will conclude the series and the controversy will quell. For others, that will bring serious disappointment. The only thing I can personally say is that I know a great many people I speak with everyday watch the show and enjoy it. To me, as one in the quasi-outermost ring of media, I think the show is well written and find the mob business stuff the least of what the series has to offer. The family issues with mother, wife and kids, which Tony is faced with each week is compelling and the murders and stuff are just part of his job, like seeing Ray Barone typing an article for his sports column. We don’t concentrate on Ray’s work, it needs to be included, but it is his interaction with his mother, wife and family we find funny. Wow, maybe Ray Barone (Everybody Loves Raymond for those not familiar) and Tony are related. At least their shows are essentially the same plot. I actually think the writers on Raymond are far more vicious in the Mother/Daughter-in-Law and Mother/Son relationship than Jim Chase is. As an outside observer, I found one glaring issue that never gets addressed when this topic is discussed. That is the fact that the web sites and organizations that rail against the Sopranos are the same web sites and organizations that praise Frank Sinatra. I see a great deal of hypocrisy in that as Tony is a fictional character on a TV show that you do not have to watch. Simple, boycott HBO, the show gets no ratings, end of series. Old Blue Eyes, on the other hand, lived in Northern NJ, has an FBI log which is posted on the internet and spent a great deal of time with persons identified as being involved in organized crime. One hero, one goat, but two different presentations on the web, in print, on the radio and on TV. The show is the show and starts tomorrow night. Look for Galante’s funeral home in the last episode. Love it or hate it, they promise that this season will be intense, entertaining and filled with interesting twists. Now go drink a bottle of Chianti and lets all love one another…. Italian-Americans voice pride in Sinatra 2000 Fattoria Carpineta
Fontalpino Do Ut Des $$ (33.95 or 95.00 at
Bacchus)
March 5, 2004
So for all
those wondering why I do not drink red burgundy, you know Pinot Noir, please
look at the evidence I present. This
picture came right out of Big Bob's camera so I cannot be accused of
doctoring or photo shop editing this one.
So here it is Winos and Winettes: Look closely, Laurent Drouhin, who has grown up drinking Pinot, has a secret. He has two right hands. There in the lower right corner of the picture is proof positive. Interestingly enough, he hid it from my camera, but in a casual moment, Big Bob snapped this picture and his hand flopped out. I warn you, drink big bold cabs. Otherwise you might end up with two right hands also.
2001
Canonbah Bridge Drought Reserve Shiraz $
(18.00) 2000
Norman Meritage $
(15.00)
March 4, 2004 Can we end the silliness, please just stop. I read an article recently regarding the law suit by a man in NJ wanting to get a direct shipment from California. The distributors are throwing up the processed cud that this practice will allow minors to obtain alcohol. Let’s just think about that, so little John wants to catch a buzz with his boyz this Friday night behind the junior high school next to the dam at Clark’s Pond. He’s sprouting pubs and wanted to act like a tough guy. So he rifles through Dad’s work pants in a time when Dad’s pants are hanging on the door in his bedroom, which most likely means its night time while the depantsed Dad is puttering in the basement or locked in his office cruising the internet to see if his neighbor’s love life is on web cam. Sneaking into his bedroom, he dials a long distance call to California, which will be showing up on mom’s phone bill in two weeks. Junior orders a bottle of 1990 Caymus Special Selection, a cork screw and two crystal wine goblets. One cannot swig and pass the Caymus like a bottle of Mad Dog. He pays extra for the express delivery, he plays hooky the next day to meet the fed ex man at 10:30AM and then runs off to the woods and hides the bottle underneath a pile of leaves, next to the rocks by the dam so it will be their the next night. As he and his posse meet Friday night, swatting mosquitoes and talking about seeing Donna through the hole in the girl’s shower after gym class, he unveils the bottle to cheers that he-da-man. Junior cuts the foil, extracts the cork, pours, sniffs and swirls, sips and spits then proclaims |
Look, I
know I am supposed to be mending the fences, and compared to WJ, I have been
open to drinking more French red wines.